The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-02-11
HERB CATERERS.
HOW SOME NORTH CAROLINA
PEOPLE MAKE A LIVING.
icollccting Medicinal Plants. Roots,
Barks and Berries-The Lar
Ecst Herb-Collecting House
ia the World, Etc.


ia the world. Etc.
In q letter describing the industrial
growth OF Statewide, n. c., q core
sponoent in the New York Commercial
4dJer9fser says. Besides the many stores
carrying considerable stocks, there are
five tobacco factories in operation and
one under construction, three tobacco
warehouses, two tanneries, spoke and
shuttle block factory, and two large es-
Establishments for the collection of med
icinal herbs, roots, barks, gums and
berries One Of these, the largest house
Of the kind in the world, does business
OF 500, 600 annually 10 these goods, OF
which it handles more than ZOO varie-
ties, weighing upward of 1000, 900
pounds This concern began business
IN small way in 1859, but was broken
up by the war Soon after it ended the
firm of Wallace Brothers was formed and
the business resumed. At first they
dealt in few articles except gensing, but
after awhile they added to their variety
such things as druggists called for until
their catalogue contained the names of
nearly ., 100 articles. Professor Gray,
OF Cambridge, has said that there are more
medicinal pants in western North Caro-
lima than In any one place in North
America. and the business of this firm
confirms his statement.
Thesystem employed Is simple enough,
but it required executive ability of no
mean order to establish it and TO keep it
in successful operation The wallaces
were country merchants doing business
with people who had LITTLE o. no -mUngy.
The little crossroed traders came to them
for goods, and paid their bills with such
produre as they could get from their
customers Ginseng was the most
marketable article China never gets too
much Of il, and has. when it was scarce,
given its weight in gold for it. Seneka
snake root was another equivalent for
ready cash. The Wallaces encouraged
their customers 10 get all of these they
could. They in turn sold their stocks to
exporters and druggists and through the
ncquaintHnces thus made they learned
what the trade would buy and at what
prices.
After a time they concluded that Il
they could secure the services Of thor
oughly capable botanist they could in
crease their business and consequent
profits. Themln they wanted was living
At Marion, in Mcdowell county Pro-
lessor NJ E Hyams was born in Charles
ton, South Carolina, received prepare
tory education there. aud graduated at
the State University in Columbia. When
seventeen years old he began. his botani-
cal stcdies, which soon became his
ruling passion. At the age of twenty
6Te be made the collection of botanical
specimens his business. When the Wal
lace Brothers found and hired him he
knew more OF the fora Of Western
North Carolina than auy one had ever
known before. HIS duties were
those Of an instructor. The women and
children in the mountains were taught
where to look for plants they had never
gathered beforc, when topluck them,
and IN what condition deliver them at
The sfnres. The merchants who received
them were III instructed, and finally
the headsaEffe nrn aad their chief en-
pl0yes- Il was long task; there were
collectors and stores in some thirty coun-
ties TO be visited. During all that time
and for years afterward the Professor ex-
plored the mountains in search of new
botanical specimens, or Of fresh fields in
which the more valuable herbs grew.
While in one Of these botanical quests
IN 1875 the Professor found in Mcdowell
County prize The discovery Of mate
70 The KohiHoar would not have elated
hin = .aighly Itwasthe shortia galu-
cifolia. a rare plaut once found and de-
|scribed, then lost 10 botanists for seven
ty-iige years. lie could scarcely believe
his eyes, but there 1t was beyond mis-
take. So carefully gathering few speci-
mcns from the very small number that
grew there, and noting well the surround
ings nat he might find II again, the Pro-
fc2sor lsft the wilderness and put himself
into Denomination with Professor Grey
and otAes eminent botanists. They we're
almost assycIted as the discoverer, and
Proie ssoT Gruy left his beautiful garden
At Cambraee and made haste TO the
mountains th1s he might SEQ for himself
this lcng-lost and rare plant. There
Is not much Of I certainly, and to the
unframed eye thee is nothing attractive
about "Hyam's sikrlIling shortia, the
name popularity gsien II, but 1t placed
the professors name on the scientific roll
Of honor, and he and his children to the
latest generation wiz have au affection
for all plants Of the natural order Of
gaiaeinea TO which this shortia belongs.
There is q phase Of this botanic bust
ness Of interest to 10th philanthropists
l.1a political economists. The collectors
are usually women, children and manned
or broken down mcn- Most Of them
have no other means at command for
getting store goois- They live, as rule,
remote from ell villages or from places
where they can earn wages We're there
no wild fruits to dry and medicinal herbs
te gather they woull be destitute indeed.
Time is Of no aecouat TO them, because
there Is nothing in Heir lives to give it
value They will therefore spend hours
in gathering a fey pennyworths nd
preparing il for tie store. Later they
viii walk bsrefooied ten, twelve and
sometimes twenty miles, 10 trade of
their little stock for such things as they
need. Between four hundred aud, five
hundred country stores deal with the
Wallsces All Of 40, 600 persons collect
the stock Here in snail way is 0
great beaefcencc. ~